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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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because I had been one hour late, and I wasn't at all cross because I didn't expect anyone to be cross with me about anything, especially not a stranger. He, of course, had an absolute phobia about being on time about everything, and he didn't realize that I thought it was a large cocktail party to which you could come anytime between 5 and 8 probably.

At any rate, there he was. He sat down and started to talk to me and asked me what I was interested in and what I liked to do, and I said, “Well, I like flowers and I like sailing and boating.” He said, “Oh, flowers, I have the best garden border in the United States. You must come and see it; it's really wonderful.” And as to boating, he said, “Well, I have a yacht with my partner, Mr. Kenneth Smith, which we use on Lake Michigan. You must come and go with me sometime on a cruise. It's large enough and rather comfortable. We have about 25 in crew and it's quite pleasant and you ought to do that.”

Well, then he went on and talked--there was absolutely no hesitancy about what he could do, what he wanted to do. Anything that anybody talked about he talked with the greatest precision of what he knew about. He talked with great liveliness and was extremely entertaining and lively.

Q:

And he took over the conversation.

Lasker:

Oh, nobody spoke at all. First he asked me a couple of questions and I replied, and then he went on. And Mr. Epstein





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